Medical treating table equipment



June 15, 1965 N. V. G. LUNDGREN ETAL MEDICAL TREATING TABLE EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1l, 1962 NN 0 3 5% @s www 7n T/.r JJ N N E R MP Mm N N le. 7A

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MEDICAL TREATING TABLE EQUIPMENT Filed July l1, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet -2 INVENTORS aS/l/Ms /M/rae 65a@ amos/uw 276.1302115 S/xrf/v 'rriessan ATTORNEYS United States Patent O MEDICAL TREA'IING TABLE EQUIPMENT ils Viktor Georg Lundgren, Stockholm, and Stig Brje f Sixten Pettersson, Bandhagen, Sweden, assignors to Krurgiska Instrument Fabriks Aktiebolaget KIFA, Solna, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed July 11, 1962, Ser. No. 209,207

Claims priority, application Sweden, July 20, 1961,

7,495/61; Germany, Apr. 18, 1962, A 39,989

12 Claims. (Cl. 5-86) The present invention relates to a medical treating table equipment such as an operating or X-ray, or a combined operating and X-ray table equipment comprising a treating-table structure, a carriage and a detachable treatingtable lying plate adapted to be transferred from the carriage onto the table structure and back. Such an equip'- ment enables a patient to be transported between a bed hall and various treating roomsoperating room, X-ray room, narcosis room, wakening room-without transfer of the patient from one lying surface to another.

Itis an object of the invention to provide an equipment of the aforesaid type enabling the lying plate to be directly transferred from the carriage onto the table structure (which may be stationary or mobile) and back on the shortest way and without any intervening shifting movement of the lying plate independently of both of said carriage and table structures.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a medical treating table equipment in which the lying plate can be constantly maintained in a position which is desirable in respect to the condition of the patient both on the table and on the carriage as well as during the transfer between the carriage and table structures.

Other objects, the novel features as well as the attendant advantages of the invention will be appreciated and more fully understood with reference to the following detailed description, when considered with the accompanying drawings.

By way of example an embodiment of the invention is described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, it being noted that mainly such parts of the equipment are shown and described which embody novel features of the invention, it being understood that in all other respects the equipment and its individual parts are of conventional design.

y In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the inventive table structure, showing the carriage and the lying plate as well as the table substructure, with a few parts omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 2 is a partial end view of the table structure;

FIG. 3 is an end View of the carriage with the lying plate in a transfer position above the table substructure; and

FlG. 4 is a partial side elevation similar to that of FIG. 1 of the table structure alone, shown in a raised position.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the table substructure comprises a foot portion 2, stationary or mobile, supporting a vertically reciprocable column 4. A shaft 6 is journaled in column 4 near the upper free end thereof. The ends of shaft 6 extending from either side of column 4 support each one of legs 8 of a bracket 10 having a tubular body portion 12 in which a shaft 14 is journaled at right angles to shaft 6. The ends of shaft 14 exending from the ends of the portion 12 each support a depending side support plate 16 forming part of a rectangular frame 18 which is thus supported for universal tilting movement on and with respect to foot 2 and column 4. Shaft 6 extends longitudinally and shaft 14 transversely with respect to frame 18. The latter is adapted to carry a treating-table lying plate 20 complementing the 3,188,559 Patented June l5, 1%65 ICC described treating-table substructure to form a complete treating table such as an operating or an X-ray table.

The tilting movement of bracket 10 about shaft 6, the tilting movement of frame 18 about shaft 14, and the lifting and lowering of column 4 are performed with the aid of any known driving means and driving media, such as by pneumatic, hydraulic, electric or manual means or any combination of such means.

Of course, all movable parts are adapted to be latched in any adjusted position. Conventional drive control means are provided on the foot of the table structure or on an independent control panel, control desk or the like, said control means being connected, e.g., by cables.

The embodiment of the inventive equipment in which the number of the relatively movable and comparatively independent parts which together form the equipment is increased from three to four offers important advantages insofar as the table substructure is relieved, the ground freedom is improved and an additional safety factor is introduced bythe remote control, in that inadvertent actuation of tbe control means at the operating or other treating table proper is avoided.

In a preferred embodiment a control board, adapted to be built into the wall of the operating or X-ray room, and generally identified in FIG. 1 by numeral 22, while its connecting cable is denoted 24, is provided with three manually and/or electrically operable valves for lifting and lowering the frame and tilting the same in the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively.

These valves may also be arranged in such a way as to be actuated from an arm extending from the ceiling or wall of the room and so journalled and articulated that adjustment of the position of the patient may be performed selectively from positions at the head or foot ends of the lying plate. The control board 22 or the like is preferably provided with one or more valves enabling the various actuating valves to be by-passed so that in an emergency situation, e.g. failure of electric power supply, the position of the patient may be manually adjusted.

The lying plate 2t) shown in FIG. 2 in position on the table substructure, and in FIGS. l and 3 in position on a carriage 26, has a lying surface 2S of arbitrary construction and comprising material not absorbing X-ray radiation. The surface 28 or substrate, supporting the body of the patient on the lying plate 2i?, is attached to the latter in any conventional way. The lying suface 28 is supported in any suitable way, such as by short rods 30 l0- cated slightly above and connected to a frame comprising longitudinally extending tubes or rods 32 and transversely extending tubes or rods 34.

The carriage 26 is a structure borne by wheels 36, consisting of tubes or rods and being reinforced on both transverse ends as well as on one long side (to the righthand side in FIG. 3) by respective upper and lower horizontal struts 38, 4d which, however, are absent on the other long side. On this latter side the carriage thus may be freely moved over the table substructure. On the upper side of the transverse ends the carriage is provided with upwardly projecting abutments 42 preventing the lying plate 20 from being laterally displaced on the carriage.` The lying plate has a greater length than the carriage 25 which, in turn, has a greater long-side length than the frame 1S of the table substructure.

Frame 1.8 on the long sides comprises upwardly open U-beams which are interconnected by transverse rods or tubes 46 yand which are spaced from each other a distance corresponding to the spacing between rods or tubes 32 of the lying plate so that the latter can be placed on the table structure by inserting tubes 32 into U-beams 44. As tubes S2 are of greater length than the U-beams 44, the lying plate 26 may be inserted in different longitudinal positions in which it is morel or less freeabea'ring in relation to the support 2.

relation Vto the foot or support of the equipment, and thus more easily accessible. Additional free ground space resulting from this arrangement may, for example, be of great value for the purpose of'X-ray photography or vvith regard to continuous X-ray control'durlng-an operation. Generally, and particularly when thelym-gplate 1s mounted on the table substructure in a cantilever fashion,l it is desirable to provide safety means counteracting any tendencyvtoward inadvertent release 4of the mutual eni Y 4 Y Ifa table substructure is used in which a support carries a frame for vertical'V reciprocation, such frame being pivotable about a horizontal axis and preferably universally tiltable, and adaptedto be locked in any desired tilting position, advantageously also the carriage Will be made tiltable in a Wayjcorresponding to the tiltability of thervframe. In this manner. ther-lying plate can be ad'- vanced to or removed from the table inra position corre- Spnding'to the actual tilting position of the frame onthe support. Y

Thum a patient who Vis resting on the lying plate which is Asupported bythe carriagemay already be placed in a position which is desirable'for medical reasons and may be gagement between the engaging members, i.e., tiltingvor Y turning over of the lying plate With respect to the table.

Moreover, it is desirable that the safety means are automatically brought into action in Iany position of insertion of the lying plate on the table substructure. Finally it is desirable thatthe safety means do not offer any resistance to the removal of the lying plate Yfrom the Itable.

A safety device which preventsr any movement of their rods 32 insertedinto the U-beams 44 other than avertrcal .separation is shown FIGS. VVZand 3.1This device comprises a pair of angle-profile elements 48 each bemgpivotally mounted lat the apex edge thereof by a yhinge mem-v transferred ontothe operating table and from there again 15 onto the carriagevvhile they said desirable position is invariably maintained. i A i' i With the aid of an larrangement provided on the carriage 26 shown in FIG. 4, the lying plate 20 is adjustable :to a desired tilting position so that upon corresponding tilting `of the frame 1S the patient,.without change of position, may betransported on the carriageV to the table subi VVstructure,'ointothe table substructure and` again back onto the carriage. The rods 32 ofthe lying plate 2 0 are sup- Y ported between the verticallyextending abutments 42 ron ber 50.01 the like on theupper edge of the inner 1lange of each of the U-beams 44. The said inner flanges have somewhatlesser height than the outer anges. By springs not shown the angleprofile elements 48 are biased to the position shownin FIG. 3. When rod 32 enters into the grooveV of 'the U-beam 44, the normally horizontal lower Y flange of the angle-proble element 48-is disposed in the path of movement of the'rod 32,7whereby the'angleprofile element is turned against the action of its spring to a position shown in FIG. 2. YIn 'thisA position its both anges embrace the inner side Yof` rod 32 Whereas the` outer side of this r-od abuts against the inner surface of l the outer flange of U-beamV 44. y vIn this position the angle-proble elementk 48 effectively opposes'any change of position of rod 32 in relation to the U-beam 44 other than a vertical lifting movement. t Y

This locking or safety device'in a very simple way precludes any tilting movement ofthe lying plate 20 in relation to the frame 1-8 about a transverse laxis even when the lying plate is supported in a cantilever fashion on the table frame.- Inadvertent separation of rod 32 Vonone of the long sides from the corresponding U-.beam 4 4,

while engagement between the other rod 32 and the other U-Ibeam 44 is maintained, can be precluded by positivelyv coupling theswinging 'movement of both angle profiles of elements 48. Additional, automatically or manually op- Y erated latching devices may be provided for safety reasons. The transfer of the lying plate 20 ,from the carriage 26 carriage with its open side `over the table substructure to a predetermined plate-transferring position which preferably is determined by abutment of the upper lateral strut Y 38 of the carriage against the outer surface of adjacent U-:beam 44, or dependingon the position of-.elevation ofY the frame 18 of the table vsubstructure against the adjacent side support platea16, of the frame. 'In the initial platetransferring position shown in FIG. 3, the rods 32. arev thus disposed above the U-b'eams 44. vThe adjusted position in the longitudinal direction can be chosen at will within wide limits determined bythe difference in lengths transverse rods 52 of the, carriage, as shownin FIGS. 1 and 3. In the embodiment shown in FIGQ4 ,the transverse rod 52 at one end of the Vcarriage is rigidly connected to the upperend of rods 54 v 'vhich are telescopicallyreceived in corner posts 56 at said end of the carriage 26. The vertical position of rods 54in posts 56 is adjusted with the aid of Ya suitableY mechanical transmission-58 of any Vlnov'vn type actuated by means of a hand wheel 30. The actuating mechanism ,mayf'of course, also be a hydraulic or pneumatic one. For theY sake of clarity, the transmis:

sion 58 and the wheel 60 have not been shown in FIG. 3.

In the vvarious embodiments as described above it s, of course, immaterial on whichparts of the equipment the individual engaging members are applied. While, as a rule, the receiving or female yengaging members, Asuch as U-prole's, are disposedY on the table structure and the enteringorlmal'e engaging members, such as rods, are Vdisposed onthe Y*lying*plate-this arrangementoflering ad- Yvalritiageswith regard tothe mountingofthe lying, plate on the" carriage, profile beams, such asv U-protles, may be provided on the )lowerVv face of the lying plate for co-operation vvvithrods provided onthe upper face of the table substructure.Y Y

- Also, it is not necessary that theengaging members of the table be oflesserY length than those of .the plate; the reverse disposition is also within the scope of the invention. 1

f The foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of the invention Which are intendedto include *55s all changes and'modifications vofttheexamples described onto thetable substructure is performed by moving the'. A

vvithinthe scope of the inventiofnras'set forth-in the appendedclaims.

' i What We claim is:

said frame 'being dimensioned to enable the latter to be carriage is then removed*` The transfer of the lying plate 20y from'the table substructureonto the carriage isvper- `'verticalralignment With said plate-supporting means of the formed in reverse order by lowering frame 13 on column Y rmovedhorizontally with said one sideleading to a predetermined plate-transferring position in which said table` substructure is ,disposedV within fsaidxframe withsaid supporting meansV of the carriage positioned substantially in table substructure, said table substructure being provided with means for `elevating said supporting means of the table substructurewhen said frame is in said transferring position, so as to perform a transfer function by vertically lifting said plate from said carriage and by alternately lowering the same for being verically deposited onto said carriage.

2. A table equipment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising control means for said elevating means, arranged on a separate unit spaced from said table substructure and permitting remote control of said transfer of the plate between said carriage and said table substructure.

3. A medical treating-table equipment comprising a treating-table substructure, a carriage, plate-supporting means provided respectively on said carriage and on said table substructure, and a treating-table lying plate adapted to be transferred between said supporting means, said carriage being continuously open on the top and on one of its sides to an extent corresponding to the dimensions of said table substructure so that said carriage may be moved into a position over said table substructure, said plate and said table substructure being provided with mutually opposed complementary engaging means adapted to be brought into engagement by a relative approaching movement between said supporting means of the table substructure and the plate supported on said supporting means of the carriage above said table substructure, and means on either of said carriage and said table substructure for performing said approaching movement and a reverse separating movement.

4. A table equipment as claimed in claim 3, wherein said engaging means of the plate are directed downwardly and those of the table substructure are directed upwardly, said movement-performing means acting to bring about said approaching movement in a vertical direction between said plate and said table substructure.

5. A table equipment as claimed in claim 3, wherein said carriage is provided with engaging means opposed to and adapted to coact with said engaging means of the plate.

6. A table equipment as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a frame for said carriage, and wherein said engaging means are elongated elements extending parallel to a pair of opposite sides of said frame, said engaging means of the plate having a greater length than the length of the table substructure along said opposite sides, thereby permitting said engagement between the engaging means in various positions of relative displacement of said table substructure and said plate along said opposite sides.

7. -A medical treating-table equipment comprising a treating-table substructure, a carriage, and a substantially rectangular treating-table lying plate adapted to be transferred between plate-supporting means provid-ed respectively on said ltable substructure and on said carriage, the latter being continuously open on the top and on one of its sides to an extent corresponding to the dimensions of said table substructure Iso that said carriage may be moved into la position .above said table substructure, sai-d plate being provided along its long lsides with elongated, downwardly projecting -engaging elements for ycooperation with complementary, upwardly projecting openchanneled engaging elements provided on said supporting means of the table substructure, the respective engaging elemen-ts being adapted to be brought into engagement by a relative approaching movement between said supporting means of the table substructure and said plate supported on said supporting means of the carriage above said table substructure, and means on either of said carriage and said table substructure for performing said appreaching movement .and a reverse separating movement.

8. A medical treating-table equipment comprising a treating-table `substructure and a treating-table lying plate adapted 4to be temporarily placed on said table subs-tructure, said plate and said table substructure being provided with opposed, complementary engaging members adapted to be brought into engagement by .a relative appreaching movement in a predetermined direction between said plate and said table substructure, latching means on said table substructure acting to prevent said engaging members from becoming inadvertently disengaged, said latching means permitting engagement an-d disengagement of said engaging members only when exposed to the action of the latter moving in said predetermined direction and the reverse direction.

9. A medical treating-table equipment comprising a treating-table substructure and a treating-table lying plate `adapted to be temporarily placed on said table substructure, said pla-te and said table substructure being provided with opposed, complementary engaging mem- .bers adapted to be brought into engagement by .a relative approaching movement in a predetermined -direction 4between said plate and said table substructure, a latching profile element hingedly attached to said table substructure adjacent said engaging members thereon said protile element having two projecting portions substantially at right angles with respect to one another and a hinge portion therebetween, said profile element being mounted in such `a position that one of said projecting portions is .at any time positioned in the path of said relative movement of said plate, whereby said profile element Will be turned about said hinge portion into a final position which is attained as soon as the respective complementary engaging members have come into complete engagement and in which the other one of said projecting portion-s will prohibit .any relative movement between said engaging members -of the plate and the table substructure, other than a lifting movement corresponding to said relative movement and performed in a direction opposite to said predetermined direction.

llt?. A medical treating-table equipment comprising a treating-table substructure, a carriage and Ia treating-table lying plate adapted to be ltransferred between plate-supporting means provided respectively :on said table substructure yand Von said carriage, the latter being con-tinuously `open on the top .and on one of its sides to an extent `corresponding .to the dimensions of sai-d table substructure so that said carriage may be moved into a posit-ion over said table substructure, said plate and said table substructure being provided with opposed, complementary engaging means adapted `to be brought into engagement Eby a relative vertical approaching movement between said supporting means of the table substructure an-d the plate supported on said supporting means of the carriage, means on either `of said carriage .and said table substructure for performing said approaching movement and a reverse separating movement, and abutment means on said carriage .and said table substructure for limiting the position to which said carriage must be moved over said table substructure in order that said plate .assume a position in relation to said table substructure in which th-e opposed ones lof said engaging means will come into engagement when said approaching movement is performed.

y1li. A medical treating-table equipment comprising a treating-table substructure, a carriage substructure and :a treating-table lying plate adapted to be transferred ibetween plate-supporting means provided respectively on said table substructure and said carriage substructure, the latter being continuously open on the .top and on one of its sides to an extent enabling -said carriage substructure to be moved to `a positi-on over said table substructure, said plate and said substructure being provided with Iopposed complementary engaging means adapted to be brought into engagement by a relative approaching movement between said supporting means of one of said substructures and the plate supported on the other one of said substructures, means on lone of said substructures for performing said approaching movement, means on said table substructure for adjusting the supporting means thereof to a position of tilting about a horizontal axis, means on said carriage substructure for adjusting the supporting means thereof to yany corresponding position of rtilting .about a horizontal axis, and means for latching 7 Y 8: y*said supporting means in the Vrespective adjusted tilting f 4 n 1 References, Cited by the Examiner PllOAS-t b1 j Y t 1- ed l lll h. r' UNITED STAT-'Es PATENTS l -a' -e equlpmen vas camu 1n calm ,1W e em f t' Y a l 2,014,244 9/35 Bramlett 5-81 sald supportlng means pf the carnage substructure com. 2,035,321 3/36' Knigkramer et al. 5 81 prises lspaced horizontal 'bars adapted to support one-end 5 Y. E f of said pla-te, -one f said bars being mounted for `vertc1 2831201 'f1/58 VLlmnbach "'f "f" 5 -86 X recipocgtibn `on said carriage substrutural s BRANI( B,SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MEDICAL TREATING-TABLE EQUIPMENT COMPRISING A TREATING-TABLE SUBSTRUCTURE, A CARRIAGE, PLATE-SUPPORTING MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID CARRIAGE AND VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE PLATE-SUPPORTING MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID TABLE SUBSTRUCTURE, AND A TREATING-TABLE LYING PLATE ADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, SAID CARRIAGE HAVING A WHEEL-SUPPORTED FRAME CONTINUOUSLY OPEN ON THE TOP AND ON ONE SIDE, SAID TABLE SUBSTRUCTURE AND SAID FRAME BEING DIMENSIONED TO ENABLE THE LATTER TO BE MOVED HORIZONTALLY WITH SAID ONE SIDE LEADING TO A PREDETERMINED PLATE-TRANSFERRING POSITION IN WHICH SAID TABLE SUBSTRUCTURE IS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FRAME WITH SAID SUPPORTING MEANS OF THE CARRIAGE POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PLATE-SUPPORTING MEANS OF THE TABLE SUBSTRUCTURE, SAID TABLE SUBSTRUCTURE BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR ELEVATING SAID SUPPORTING MEANS OF THE TABLE SUBSTRUCTURE WHEN SAID FRAME IS IN SAID TRANSFERRING POSITION, SO AS TO PERFORM A TRANSFER FUNCTION BY VERTICALLY LIFTING SAID PLATE FROM SAID CARRIAGE AND BY ALTERNATELY LOWERING THE SAME FOR BEING VERTICALLY DISPOSED ONTO SAID CARRIAGE. 